Patients at a hospital in HCM City have their body temperature measured. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY— The HCM City People’s Committee will allow districts 6, Tân Bình and Bình Tân to mandate social distancing if they think it is necessary after a few new cases of Covid-19 were found there.

Speaking at an online meeting held on December 1, Nguyễn Thành Phong, the committee’s chairman, ordered authorities in districts 1, 3, 6, 10, Bình Tân, Tân Bình, and Tân Phú to carefully check businesses and service establishments visited by the COVID-19 patients.

He called for continued implementation of preventive measures the city issued in May.

The city has tested 737 others for COVID-19 since December 1, and all have turned up negative.

The city is taking a number of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus like spraying chemicals and testing and quarantining people who had been in close contact with the patients and isolating the patients’ neighbourhoods.

Phong also instructed relevant agencies to penalise the Vietnam Airlines flight attendant who tested positive on Sunday for violating home quarantine regulations and spread the disease to other people.

Nguyễn Trí Dũng, director of the city Disease Control and Prevention Centre, said people who are quarantined at home have to sign a commitment, and local authorities would monitor their health.  

The city Department of Education and Training is waiting for the test results of many students who had come into contact with the English teacher who lives in Ward 3, District 6, and contracted the virus from his friend the flight attendant.

The department has instructed schools across the city to tell their students to take preventive measures such as wearing masks and washing hands.

It has ordered Key English centre at 285/24 Cách Mạng Tháng Tám in District 10, where the patient taught, and its branches through the city to remain closed from November 11 to December 14.

Other English centres should teach online, according to the department.

Many universities have students to learn with the COVID-19 teacher. They are brought to the city’s quarantine areas.

Four primary schools in District 6 were closed after four teachers came into contact either directly or indirectly with the teacher.

The Department of Transport has called for preventive measures such as wearing masks at bus stations and public transport vehicles, and ordered violators to be fined.

Communications about preventive measures will be strengthened at bus and train stations.

The Department of Health has instructed hospitals to strengthen COVID-19 prevention measures. — VNS